Saturday, November 14, 2009

PM to Lure Global Talent & Malaysians Abroad

A few prime ministers before PM Najib Razak have had the same dream. Najib said the government would make Malaysia a better place to live and work in to lure back its citizens residing abroad as well as attract global talents to the country.

"We will create more opportunities, more excitement and more buzz in Malaysia to attract the Malaysian diaspora and expatriates to the country," said Najib.

More opportunities - When is the government going to announce a post-NEP economic policy, implement meritocracy, open up the public procurement process etc.?

More excitement - When is the government going to adopt a more liberal approach towards international artistes performing in Malaysia? Clarify its performance permit application process and requirements? When is the government going to stop religious extremists/snoop squads from patronizing the people?

Buzz - When can the government get over a shallow sloganeering and media spin but did very little else to improve the situation?

When can we curb corruption, enhance democracy, stop racism and religious extremism, stop abusing public institutions for its own political interest?

20 years? 30 years? After 2020? Next 6 months? Anything more than 6 months, it is not going to help turn around this country.

If this country is run like a private UMNO company where all public institutions are at the beck and call of UMNO who wants to return to work.In fact many are preparing to leave not because they don't love the country but they don't trust the government.Without law and order where even murderers are protected by the police and whistle-blowers are deported to India and State Assembly raided by the police and the Speaker bundles out, who will want to return?

Very difficult to reverse the brain drain. In fact I am concerned that the brain drain may even accelerate as the country appears to be becoming more polarised and less tolerant. All the rhetoric is not going to work unless there is real progress on the ground. I have many moderate Malay professional friends who are asking their children who are overseas, not to return, as they see that there is no future for them in the country.

I am a professional Malaysian working in London and I am the sort of people the PM wants to attract back to Malaysia. It was only last week I had a discussion about this issue with some of my fellow Malaysian professionals and we all agree that the Bumiputera policy is the biggest deterrent to us returing to Malaysia. To attract us back, the Malaysian govt will have to either grant all Malaysians Bumi status or else abolish the Bumi policy altogether. It is not about money, it is about EQUALITY.

Now that MCA, Gerakan and MIC is in disarray, Najib is trying to fish for non-Malay votes. Unless he can translate some of his words into action, it's just business as usual. So far, it's just a big lie and nothing else.

the biggest threat to umno/bn hegemony is globalisation. we are living in a practically borderless world today. and each and everyone is free to choose who he/she works for. every country in the world has to compete for this talent pool, because they cannot monopolize their own citizens with barriers of movement anymore. so as long as umno is stuck in their kampung mentality, then they should only expect juara kandangs to stay back to be subservient to the umno cause. while more creative and talented peoples will ply their brains where they are welcomed.

Khoo, Appreciate if you could do a simple poll and ask the respondents this question or something similar like example : "IF you were offered a PR ticket to a foreign country like Australia or Singapore or USA would you take up the offer?" Choose one answer - Yes or No. Give this a try, who knows what the feedback would be! Thanks

How la to lure those M'sians abroad to come back when the government is not sincere to give the same treatment based on merit but based on the skin color? Lets not kid ourselves in believing that Najib would actually give the same opportunity to the non-malays M'sians. Even many malays also asked their children to stay back in overseas & don't come back to M'sia after they graduated.

Khoo Kay Peng

Khoo Kay Peng

About Me

Kay Peng is a strategy and management consultant and a political analyst. He holds a bachelor degree in Economics from the University of Malaya and a master of arts degree in International Relations from the University of Warwick. He was a Kuok Foundation and a British Chevening scholar.

For more information on what he does; please visit www.i3mgroup.com

Responses posted on this blog do not represent the views of the blogger unless stated.